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The basis of the U.S. justice system has always been innocent until proven guilty. This sets our justice system apart from most other countries. Michael Dunn may be judged guilty by a jury of his peers, and if so, he will receive a long sentence.

My concern is the actions of the state attorney, embarrassed over losing the George Zimmerman case, the biased reporting of The Florida Times-Union, First Coast News and WJXT-TV4 and the actions of the family of Jordan Davis will make a fair trial very difficult to achieve.

Dunn was tried, convicted and judged guilty long before this trial began. This is why we need Angela Corey replaced as state attorney and the media limited in access to retrial proceedings.

I hope Judge Russell Healey is able to maintain the courtroom as he is the last hope in this trial for justice in this case.

Charles E. (Eddie) Brown, Jacksonville,

MARIJUANA

Treat it like alcohol

Wherever alcoholic drinks are legalized, marijuana could be treated the same way unless it has more serious effects than the drinks.

A. Shafi, Jacksonville

TRIAL BY PUBLIC

Going too far

Although I agree in principle regarding the rights of the public and the press to know about criminal cases, I take exception to the media posting sites for consumers to vote whether a suspect may be guilty of a crime.

This promotes trying a person in the court of public opinion without knowledge of all of the facts.

It is no wonder then that the defense so often receives requests for changes of venue and suppression of records.

The news media should report reliable news items, but the irresponsible act of fomenting unfounded information smacks of tabloid mentality and yellow journalism.

It is an insult to the integrity of the Fourth Estate. Please report news dispassionately, honestly and without window dressing.

Sharon N. Grube, St. Marys, Ga.

USING HEADLIGHTS

A safety issue

Many people do not turn their headlights on because they say to themselves “I can see where I am going; I don’t need to turn my headlights on to see!”

What they don’t realize is that other drivers can’t see them at dusk and twilight hours.

This is important because these drivers can’t see an oncoming vehicle when they start to pass on a two-lane road. That can lead to a possible dangerous head-on collision or running off the road.

Are you using your headlights when conditions call for them?

Frank Watts, Hilliard

MOVIE NOSTALGIA

Promoting values

I really enjoyed the article featuring the movie collectibles assembled by the gentleman from Mandarin.

Who in my generation, for example, can forget the last line of “Casablanca” when Bogie, having shot the evil Nazi, says to Claude Rains, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Or “Do not forsake me oh my darling,” from the theme song of “High Noon” in which sheriff Gary Cooper, instead of leaving town with his beautiful new bride, Grace Kelly, risks almost certain death to face the evil man who hates him.

Or youngster Brandon de Wilde’s plaintive cry, “Shane! Come back!” as Alan Ladd, having overcome the ruthless cattle baron and his hired gun, rides off into the sunset rather than risk an affair with the attractive wife of the sodbuster whose day Shane saved.

The common theme of these nostalgic movies of the 1940s and ’50s is as meaningful now as it was then: Good triumphs over evil but not without one heckuva struggle.

Sam Heffner, Ponte Vedra Beach

SUPER BOWL AD

Losing our identity

The Coca-Cola Super Bowl commercial with “God Bless America” being sung in various languages sent the wrong message.

We all need to speak the same language, salute and serve the same flag, live under the same Constitution and laws.

By all means be proud of your heritage. Honor your family and cultural traditions.

But we need to be Americans first and foremost. If under the false guise of promoting “diversity” we lose our sense of national unity, of being Americans, we will lose this great country.

Lou Govreau, Jacksonville

REPLY: OBAMACARE

Faulty logic

A letter writer expressed an opinion based on a false premise — that Catholic nuns were being required by the Affordable Care Act to receive contraceptives.

In fact, the law simply requires that insurance companies offer free contraception to employees who want that benefit, and, yes, even if they work for an institution run by nuns.

There is a judicial stay of that provision pending a final court decision, but it should be pointed out that the nuns’ legal argument is that requiring them to complete the Affordable Care Act paperwork to get insurance coverage for their employees (many of whom are not Catholic) is a violation of their religious freedom.

Oh yes, the contraceptive thing and Nuns! LOL. Ridiculous. I don't think there are good Roman Catholic nuns worrying about contraceptives. No one is forcing them to use them. Its free choice. If they saw a need, which I find totally ridiculous, they can get them. LOL. We have a country full of people, mostly conservatives, looking for something to complain about. This one is stupid, totally stupid.

I wonder how many of our ancestors spoke English when they arrived here and how many didn't? I wonder if they felt about this country the way the words of the song speak so elegantly? And did they sing the song in the native language that they came here with? I found it very touching that they could present that song in the way they did..I got the meaning, understood what they were singing, and damned well didn't get mad because it wasn't in English. You folks that were upset? Get a life! Get something else to get mad about. It seems that is about all I read on here, mad at this or the other, upset with this or the other, hardly ever a good word from anyone. God Bless America! And thanks to Coke Cola for the ad! It was outstanding!

Thanks for letting us know what we "need to be", "first and foremost". People really shouldn't be allowed to figure this out on their own.

If I ever think to identify "first and foremost" by my ancestry, religion, familial role, occupation, species, hometown or favorite cheese, please flog me with a rolled up American flag. I would deserve it.